Arnion's tale of dragon scars
by laylaguildford
Summary: this is my first story i wrote it for my english gcse's. it is vagley based around lord of the rings with some parts of eragon to make it interesting. sorry no actual characters from 'lord of the rings' or 'eragon'.  sorry im not good at summary's


**Arnion's tale of dragon scars.**

The wind whistled softly through the high trees of the forbidden forest and the full moon shone brightly through the gaps in the trees illuminating the forest floor with pale blue beams of moonlight.

A small group of boys sat around a roaring campfire, although not related they all bore a resemblance to one another. This similarity the boys shared was deep down in there very souls, they all shared the same destiny, these boys were dragon riders.

Arnion son of Eragan looked silently at the scars on his hand thinking of the task he had been set when he had received the scar resembling a dragon on his right palm.

Arnion was the first dragon rider to be marked in over 1000 years.

Black shoulder length hair framed his pale stern face, and a pair of keen brown eyes ever watchful. Months of traveling and years of hardship had dulled his handsome face making him appear grave and dangerous unless he were to smile.

"Arnion, you dear boy are far too troubled for someone of your age" Daeon remarked loudly, Arnion looked up at his friend and smiled lightly

"I am but two months younger than yourself Daeon".

"Yes, well who reached manhood first" Daeon laughed thumping his chest with his fist proudly, smiling he ruffled Arnions hair playfully. Arnion scowled at the young man then he put some more wood on the fire.

Daeon had been brought up in the shadow lands where his brutal father had been training him to take his place as evil over lord when his own time was up; Daeon had run away and taken refuge in the wild for years before he had met Arnion and the others. He new everything about the forest and the wilderness, he also knew everything about the enemy strategy. He was a very useful person to have around and he was a good friend to Arnion but he would not reveal anything of his past to him. Daeon was also an example of how a son cannot choose his family.

In many ways Daeon and Arnion were so similar they were 'like' brothers.

The boys had spent plenty of time together and knew each other like the back of there own hand over the past few nights they (not including Daeon) had been telling stories of there lives before they were marked as dragon riders and tonight was Arnions turn.

He looked towards Daeon with pleading eyes; he did not want to tell his story, the memory was hard enough to think of let alone say out loud. But Daeon just crossed his arms and looked at him firmly as if to say

'They will find out eventually it is best to get it over with now'.

Arnion took in a deep breath and looked at the group he did not speak but picked up some dirt from the floor and sprinkled it into the flame, they waited a moment now all looking into the flame as pictures started to appear in the dancing flames, and so Arnions story began.

A small black haired child was curled up in the corner of his late fathers dark office, he was shaking from the pain in his small back and his face was black and blue from earlier that night. His shabby clothes were in tatters on the shiny oak floor, he had been locked in the room for hours. He shivered as the cold wind and rain entered the office through the open window. Slowly he sat up as he did the pain bolted through his small body and he fell down again with a sharp yelp of shock and agony.

The door opened slowly and the child jumped in fear of whom the person might be, this movement sent another bolt of pain through his body and this time he screamed.

The young man standing by the door rushed over to the small child and picked him up from the crimson blood stained floor and made his way quickly out of the room, as the small boy burrowed himself into his saviors chest, he entered the court yard and made his way towards the stables as the child looked up at him.

Only when the light rain touched hid face did he look up to see who had rescued him.

It was his nineteen-year-old brother Belegdhor, he was wearing full body armor and had a large sword strapped to his side, his dark brown hair was tied back neatly and his keen grey eyes searched the area for danger, there was none so he entered the stable where his most trusted men and their black stallions waited. He smiles warmly at his little brother successfully hiding the concern he had for him, this was not the first time there uncle and bastard of a cousin had attacked the little one.

"It's alright Mellon Nin I'm getting you out of hear".

Belegdhor said softly as the small child fell asleep in his strong arms.

Little Arnion woke up slowly, he blinked a few times then he looked up at his brother who smiled fondly down at him "it's good to see you awake Mellon Nin" Belegdhor said gently, Arnion smiled absent-mindedly then looked around. They were on horse back surrounded by a party of well-armed knights protecting them; they looked like they were packed for a long journey. "Belegdhor, where are we going?" Arnion asked quietly.

"You my brother are going to Numenor to live with the Dunadain and the Elves, me and the rest of my company are those left loyal to Arnor and for that we are banished, we are joining the Dunedain rangers in bree and patrol the shadow land boarders." he said plainly, Belegdhor was expecting Arnion to start crying but he didn't he just sat there silent for the rest of the journey.

The sun was rising in the west as Arnion watched his brother and company ride south towards bree and the boarders of the shadow lands.

Lord Beren saw the sorrow in the child's eyes and said to him "do not weep Mellon Nin, you will see him again, but in the mean time we have much to teach you."

He took the child's hand and led him towards the city of Numenor

Lord Beren was right, over the years Arnion grew both in body and in mind, He learns the speech and songs of the creatures and people of the world, He was brought up to fight and he was brought up to ride.

The Elves could often be found arguing about his future, some said he would be a fighter, a hunter and a ranger. Others said he would be a musician, a healer and a re-newer.

But always a dragon rider.

His future was unclear, but what was clear, were the choices he would make that would shape the future and change the world forever.

Arnion looked at the Elven Princess from behind a bush in the garden by the river that bore her name, her long black hair danced around her as she swayed and twirled to the enchanting music of the golden wood, her angelic face and sky blue eyes light up when she saw him hiding like a small child.

Now 15 Arnion had spent most of his life among the trees of Numenor. When he and Nimrodel had first met (when Arnion was 14 and Nimrodel was 200-years-old) they had fallen in love instantly.

She laughed lightly and to him it sounded like the chime of bells. She smiled brightly as she skipped to his hiding place, her midnight blue dress flowing about her feet as she stopped.

He stood up boldly and kissed her hand softly in welcome, her ruby lips parted as if she were to say something but she was cut off by his passionate kiss, she gave in and kissed him back, they were lost in the rapture of their lovers kiss that literally took there breath away, but suddenly she stopped! Looking over his shoulder fearfully, he raised an eyebrow then looked round only to have a large fist slam into his cheek; the force of impact threw him off his feet and into the nearest tree.

Arnion could only see stars but he could hear lord Beren's angered voice ringing in his ears. "Nimrodel go to your room now, you will not come out for the rest of the week." Lord Beren ordered, but Nimrodel protested

"But father Arnion needs help…."

"Enough go to your room now!" Lord Beren barked and she darted off to her room crying.

"I suppose you think that was terribly clever," Lord Beren growled at Arnion pulling him to his feet by the scruff of the neck.

"I-I'm s-sorry my lord" Arnion stuttered wiping the blood from his face "I'm sorry" he repeated weakly.

"You are banned from seeing her for the rest of the time you live under the trees of Numenor's golden wood is that in any way un-clear?" He said raising his voice. "Now if you can manage so much as to follow me I have something for you" he said harshly.

Arnion swayed slightly on his feet as he responded softly and obediently "yes my Lord."

Arnion followed the Elven-King through the golden wood, after an hour of traveling they came to a glade lit orange by the setting sun. Lord Beren stopped in the middle of the glade and bid Arnion to follow. The youth did so and as he approached, the sun glinted off a large oval shaped stone on the ground. The stone was the size of a small bag of grain and it was the colour of pure gold apart from the misty blue web pattern Arnion stared at the stone in wonder.

"This is the egg of Narsil the last dragon's egg in existence and it has come to you Arnion son of Eragan, you are to be the first dragon rider in over one thousand years."

Lord Beren proclaimed whilst Arnion just stared, lord Beren nudged him and he walked forward and slowly picked up the stone from the floor, at that moment Arnion was filled with a great feeling of power and destiny this feeling was so strong that he almost dropped the egg. Lord Beren kept a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady.

"The power you feel is the strength of Elendil, it has connected with you Arnion"

The youth trembled as he gently placed the egg back on the floor then he looked to lord Beren who spoke softy "put aside the neglected prince and become the man you were born to be."

Arnion looked at lord Beren with a sudden fear in his eyes and his voice trembled.

"But my lord what if I can't what if I fail?"

Then lord Beren replied with words that put a great weight on Arnions shoulders.

"Then human kind will fail."

Lord Beren left Arnion alone in the glade, Arnion was still for a few minuets then he picked up the egg and ran to his bedchamber.

Over the next few nights winter came and snow started to settle on the floor of the golden wood. Winter had come early as the happiness had left Numenor for the evenstar of its people had gone missing.

Within princess Nimrodels bed chamber every corner had a sign of a struggle, dried bloodstained the carpet and the four-post bed had had its curtains ripped down.

Lord Beren stood silently in the room. Three days had passed since his daughter had gone missing; even more distressing Arnion had gone to him that same night and told him the egg had been stolen.

Arnion now stood in the doorway waiting for the King to speak, but as the minutes passed and he did not Arnion decided he would voice his plan.

"My Lord I will go to the shadow lands and retrieve our Lady Nimrodel and my dragon egg."

Lord Beren finally turned round and looked at the young man with pride and said,

"you are very brave just like your father, but as he often said one part brave three parts fool, Anion not even ten-thousand men could do this."

Arnion smiled "my Lord, I am not yet a man but when I become one I would have my Lady and my dragon at my side, I am prepared to go my Lord all I need is your blessing."

Lord Beren looked at Arnion and said, "You must swear you will bring them back."

Arnion nodded "I do".

Lord Beren frowned at him and shouted, "You must do it properly."

Arnion nodded again so Lord Beren took Arnions right hand which instantly began to burn and he spoke in a language Arnion did not recognize, but then he switched back to the common speech and said;

"Arnion son of Eragan do you swear on the life of your dragon that you will go to the shadow lands and not return to the golden woods on Numenor without its Lady or your egg in your company."

Arnion suddenly felt a lot of fear but regardless of the strange feeling he had he spoke loud and clearly, his hand burning the whole time

"I swear."

Then there was a flash of light and his right hand burned and felt as though it had been cut with a shadow blade, when he looked down he saw the crimson mark shaped as a dragon and he fell into darkness.

The fire was almost out when the boys came out from the trance the flame had put them in.

Daeon had his eyes to the ground as though to hide his face, but the rest of the group looked at Arnion in amazement. Arnion looked again to his dragon scar then he looked to his companions and smiled lightly.

"That is the task I have been set, no oath binds any of you to stay with me so you may leave if you wish it."

Arnion stood and walked to the edge of the campsite; slowly Daeon followed him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I will help you complete your quest Prince Arnion Lord of Arnor, and we will all follow you to whatever end" Daeon declared, Arnion flinched at the use of his old title but smiled as everyone came to stand with him

"To whatever end".

The next morning Arnion felt confident in himself for the first time and as he led his friends into the forest, he knew he would finish the task set for him.

He had to.

To be continued …

Names and meanings

*Mellon Nin = little one

Arnion = royal son

Belegdhor = great, mighty brother

Daeon = shadow male

Nimrodel = a river


End file.
